1. Field of the Invention
Broadly, the present invention relates to compounds of the lanthanide series of elements and a method of preparing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lanthanide carboxide and a method of preparing such a carboxide.
2. Background of the Invention
Refractory compounds of the rare earth or lanthanide elements and various uses for such compounds are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,012, for example, discloses a method of preparing an oxide of at least one of the elements of yttrium, lanthanum and the lanthanides and discloses that such materials are luminescent and useful as a red component in the display screen of color television tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,702 suggests certain novel compounds of europium and/or ytterbium containing tetrachalcogenides, which are useful as semiconductors and luminophors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,599 discloses a technique for the growth of a single crystal of defect-free, rare earth gallium garnet. Such crystals are disclosed as being useful in magnetic domain devices, which are used extensively for information storage and propagation in the electronics industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,641 discloses a method of enhancing the superconductivity of bodycentered cubic lanthanum and yttrium sesquicarbide through formation of the sesquicarbides from ternary alloys of novel composition (N.sub.x M.sub.1-x)C.sub.z, where N is yttrium or lanthanum, M is thorium, any of the Group IV or VI transition metals, or gold, germanium or silicon, and z is approximately 1.2 to 1.6, and x is in the range of 0.9 to 0.25. These ternary sesquicarbides are disclosed as having superconducting transition temperatures as high as 17.0.degree. K.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,286 discloses a method of producing europium oxide single crystals, which have increased electrical conductivity and curie temperatures. These materials are suggested as useful in magneto-optical and memory devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,593 suggests the use of hafnium oxide-europium oxide compounds and compositions as reactor control elements. Various rare earth subsulfide compounds are disclosed as being useful in thermoelectric elements and thermoelectric devices in U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,977. Various rare earth nitrides are suggested for use in thermoelectric generating and freezing applications in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,493.
It is seen therefore, that rare earth compounds have many varied applications. However, in spite of the variety of such compounds known, there still is a need for new compounds which will have substantially the same or greater utility in the applications discussed hereinbefore, and which may have properties permitting their use in new applications.